05

Oct

Highlands seek Ndoro status

HIGHLANDS Park coach Owen da Gama say they will not jump the gun with new signing Tendai Ndoro and are awaiting clarity on his status from the South African Football Association (Safa).

Ndoro was in May sanctioned to a two-match suspension following his indiscretion with former club Ajax Cape Town by Safa Arbitrator William Mokhari.

However, after being released by the Urban Warriors, the former Orlando Pirates striker has now joined The Lions of the North, who are still uncertain about his eligibility and hence he did not feature against Kaizer Chiefs on Tuesday evening, said Da Gama.

“We have signed Ndoro, that’s definite. But as you know there was a case with Ndoro and Ajax, and I’m speaking on behalf of management, so I can only say what I was told,” Da Gama told reporters.

“We are waiting for an official letter to say what his status is, whether what we’ve heard through the grapevine that he’s been suspended for two games (is the case).

“Once we hear from Safa then we’ll know, but we cannot just jump the gun. We’ve got to hear and see what the outcome is, but he’s training and he’s on fire.”

His transgression of the Fifa regulations subsequently led to Ajax’s relegation last season, but Da Gama insisted that his attitude remains on point and also revealed that the Zimbabwean snubbed other offers in favour of resurrecting his career at Park.

“Nobody can say what the future holds, but his attitude at training has been spot on. If, in a friendly, he’s not playing and someone else is, and he then comes on in the second group, he gives it his all,” he added.

“We are hoping this partnership will work out well, and we believe that Ndoro has taken a step backwards in order to move forward.

“Because there are bigger teams that wanted him, but the nice thing is that Ndoro wanted to be with us, and I think that’s an important thing.